[By Guancha Observer, Mountain Cat]

According to a report by the U.S. "The War Zone" website on June 10 local time, U.S. President Donald Trump inspected the Fort Bragg base in North Carolina on the same day. The base is home to the U.S. Army's main Special Operations Center and units such as the 82nd Airborne Division.

According to a series of videos released by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino on social media, Trump watched paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division parachute from a C-17 aircraft during his inspection, as well as a "simulation of special assault operations" demonstration involving "Green Berets" and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. A Scud missile launcher (or full-size model) was also present during the special operations demonstration. In the demonstration area, some equipment of the U.S. Army was also displayed, including an unknown model of a multiple rocket launcher system being fired on-site.

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On-site video

In one of the videos, it can be seen that at least one container-type launcher was present at the demonstration site. From the footage, this launcher uses the same launch modules as the M270 and M142 HIMARS rocket launchers, used for launching 227mm rockets and ballistic missiles (ATACMS and PrSM). "The War Zone" website reported that this would provide a "harder-to-detect" and "flexible" strike capability, particularly highlighting the tactical value of lower-profile covert firepower, as demonstrated by Ukraine's recent "Spider Web" operation using drones to attack targets within Russia. Although there is no further information about the container launcher displayed during Trump's visit, similar equipment has been previously seen. Last August, the "Military Times" website published a short video on its official YouTube channel titled "Imagine standing next to a cargo container, but it instantly transforms into a rocket launcher." The container launcher shown in the video is highly consistent with the one displayed at Fort Bragg. "The War Zone" website stated that it has contacted the U.S. Army to learn more details.

This image shows the existence of the container launcher on the right side of the video frame.

A container launcher with the lid already open in the background.

A screenshot from a video released last year by the "Military Times" showing a high degree of consistency with the container launcher displayed during Trump's inspection at Fort Bragg.

In summary, based on the images, this type of container launcher is designed with a top cover that flips to one side, capable of accommodating two groups of ammunition modules, similar to the M270, with a maximum capacity of 12 guided 227mm rockets or 2 ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) missiles, or 4 PrSM (Precision Strike Missile) missiles. Additionally, the U.S. Army is also seeking new modules with smaller caliber rockets to reduce range in exchange for increasing payload capacity. For the U.S. military, container launchers can turn "any truck that can load a standard container" into a platform capable of launching long-range guided rockets and missiles, or they can be installed on freight trains or ships with sufficiently wide decks. On the other hand, these containers can also be used for rapid deployment at forward operating bases to deter enemies within tens to hundreds of miles, providing "on-call" fire support for forward-deployed forces. Although the current container launchers appear unable to rotate, coverage can be achieved by arranging multiple launchers facing different directions.

Rapid deployment of container-based systems onto ships originally lacking missile-launching capabilities to achieve "distributed strike" effectiveness is also an expectation of the U.S. Navy.

Currently, the Marine Corps' trailer-mounted Tomahawk/Standard SM-6 launcher and the Army's TYPHON intermediate-range missile system both adopt a similar box-like design, housing MK-41 launch modules. The TYPHON is a fixed system consisting of several semi-trailers carrying launchers and command vehicles. Reports indicate that the standalone containerized launcher appears more discreet in appearance, making it harder for opponents to detect and target, as "any container could potentially conceal a rocket or missile launcher."

The U.S. Army's TYPHON missile launcher vehicle, which uses a semi-trailer compatible with standard container sizes to house the missile launcher.

In recent years, the U.S. military and public opinion circles have shown another face toward similar equipment developed by other countries. Over a decade ago, when Russia introduced the "Club-K" missile system with containerized launchers, U.S. media expressed concerns, describing such weapons as possibly "sold to terrorist organizations" or "used for terrorist attacks," and debated how placing them on commercial ships might violate international law, a stance that also covered similar weapons developed by countries like Iran. In 2021, the Stockton International Law Center of the U.S. Naval Academy published a report titled "China's Container Missile Deployment May Violate the Rules of Maritime Warfare," although the article acknowledged that "converting civilian ships into military vessels and commanding them with military personnel does not violate the law," it disregarded China's long-standing relatively open defense mobilization mechanism for civilian vessels, and hyped up arguments such as "China may secretly include civilian ships into maritime combat forces" and "putting civilian ships at risk."

In the case of containerized weapons, whether certain missiles are for "easy deployment" or "stealth strikes" evidently varies depending on where you look, with quite flexible standards for speculation.

However, the U.S. itself has been seeking similar launch methods to "expand the naval combat fleet." Unable to achieve the "380-ship" construction goal in the short term, the U.S. Navy has been studying the idea of loading containerized cruise missiles, artillery, anti-ship missiles, and drone launchers onto container ships to quickly expand into "asymmetric, stealthy warships." For example, the U.S. Naval Institute (USNI) published an article on this topic in February this year, stating that the U.S. Navy could purchase around 40 "missile freighters" at a cost of $130-$145 million each, which is only a quarter of the cost of a "Ford"-class aircraft carrier with its air wing. This would add approximately 1,600 "high-end missiles" to the fleet.

This article is an exclusive contribution from the Guancha Observer and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7514682458990985766/

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